{"id":891676,"date":"2026-09-11T11:12:24","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T11:12:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/891676\/"},"modified":"2026-09-11T11:12:24","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T11:12:24","slug":"maybe-the-rams-needed-more-sleep-plus-nascars-curse-word-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/891676\/","title":{"rendered":"Maybe the Rams needed more sleep. Plus, NASCAR\u2019s curse-word money"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Pulse Newsletter \ud83d\udce3 | This is The Athletic\u2019s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here<\/a> to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n

Good morning! Get some sleep today. Coming up:\u00a0<\/p>\n

\ud83d\ude34 49ers blast<\/a> snoozy Rams
\n\ud83c\udfbe Rybakina, Sabalenka set<\/a> for showdown
\n\ud83d\ude4f Remembering 9\/11<\/a>
\nZzzzzz: 49ers, traditional travel zap super team dreams<\/p>\n

There was once an NFL team with an embarrassment of talent amassed on its roster. It was the easy, trendy pick to win a Super Bowl. Its backup quarterback was a former NFL Rookie of the Year and two-time Pro Bowler. This was a super team, or as that QB, Vince Young, called it, a \u201cdream team.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

These were the 2011 Philadelphia Eagles, who looked up Dec. 1 and saw their record read 4-8. They finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs. By all accounts, it was a disaster<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The talk around the 2026 Rams has echoed that feeling. The super team with a magical offseason. A Super Bowl favorite. The guys who supposedly figured out<\/a> how to travel across the ocean better than any NFL team before them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s just one game, but this super team started its supposed Super Bowl run worse than anyone could\u2019ve imagined.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The division rival 49ers, who adopted a more traditional travel strategy, walloped the Rams in Australia, 27-7. It was never particularly close. San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy looked awesome, and its defense looked even better. It\u2019s a good time to remind everyone that this team went 12-5 last year despite suffering huge injuries.
\nExpect the NFC West to be the league\u2019s best division again this year. And as our team wrote in the initial recap<\/a> of last night\u2019s game, many suspect this is a one-off aberration for the mighty Rams. For now, at least.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It all happened in front of a staggering 100,021 fans. Read more from the scene here<\/a>. And, on the Netflix broadcast, Luke Kuechly was impressive<\/a> in his TV debut.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s keep moving:<\/p>\n

News to Know\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Matthew Stockman \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Rybakina, Sabalenka set for final
Elena Rybakina will face Aryna Sabalenka in the U.S. Open women\u2019s final tomorrow in what will be a true heavyweight matchup. Rybakina, the incoming world No. 1, came back to beat Coco Gauff yesterday despite adversity in the match itself and via a hostile crowd<\/a>. Her reward: Sabalenka, the back-to-back U.S. Open champ who breezed past<\/a> Jessica Pegula yesterday. It\u2019s going to be fun.<\/p>\n

More news:<\/p>\n

The Justice Department is now investigating the Clippers\u2019 alleged salary-cap circumvention with Kawhi Leonard. See our full report<\/a>.
\nPatriots wide receiver A.J. Brown could miss multiple games with a high-ankle sprain, a source told The Athletic<\/a>. Meanwhile, Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold avoided serious injury<\/a> in Wednesday\u2019s win.
\nFalcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered an oblique injury in practice, casting doubt on whether he\u2019ll play in Week 1. Cooper Rush might be up. It\u2019s \u2026 bleak in Atlanta<\/a>.
\nDwight Howard\u2019s playing days aren\u2019t over just yet. He will play professionally in the country of Georgia next season. Read more here<\/a>.
\nFormer LSU women\u2019s basketball center Kate Koval received a waiver<\/a> from the NCAA to become immediately eligible. Koval, a Ukrainian, left the school after coach Kim Mulkey recruited a Russian.
\nNHL expansion in Texas is \u201cnot a done deal,\u201d per a deputy commissioner. Welp<\/a>.
\nAmanda and Phil Kessel, hockey sibling royalty, will enter the United States Hockey Hall of Fame together. Nice<\/a>.
\nUSMNT\u2019s Sergi\u00f1o Dest scored in his Champions League opener yesterday. See the goal<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcf0\u00a0Find more news here 24\/7<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Monitoring \ud83d\udc40: Never forget\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Julian Leshay Guadalupe \/ NorthJersey.com \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n

This is normally where we get cheeky, but today I\u2019d like to start our monitoring with a solemn remembrance. It\u2019s a big day:<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been 25 years. Today marks a quarter century since the 9\/11 attacks, which had an immense impact on everyone in this country, sports very much included. Games were canceled, tearful tributes were made and things were solemn for a long time. But for some sports figures, the remembrance didn\u2019t stop there.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As Tyler Kepner wrote this week, members of the 2001 Mets have kept a promise made after the attacks: They visit FDNY\u2019s Ladder Co. 25 every year, supporting a house that lost seven firefighters on Sept. 11, 2001. The Mets have not forgotten<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Also make time for Ian O\u2019Connor\u2019s remembrance, with insights from families of 9\/11 victims. Ian is a longtime New Yorker with a special perspective on this day. Read that here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Speaking of the Mets. The team traded for Brewers ace Freddy Peralta in the offseason and named him Opening Day starter. He proceeded to have a disastrous year, not unlike many of his Mets teammates. New York traded Peralta to Tampa Bay at the deadline, giving up early.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And, what do you know, Peralta looks incredible again. In his last three starts, Peralta has given up just two runs in 18 innings. Turns out a few tweaked mechanics \u2014 and a heady pitch strategy \u2014 make a huge difference. Read how here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"William<\/p>\n

\n Meg Oliphant \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Put one in the swear jar. NASCAR has been on a roller coaster, narratively, regarding words you\u2019d bleep on TV. At its inception, NASCAR was a league that embraced the brash, unfiltered talk. Then, with growth came restraint. A curse word cost actual competition points at one juncture.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now, as NASCAR tries to return to its vintage roots, swearing is being encouraged \u2014 with a financial incentive for fans. Guess the right cuss word, maybe win some money. I love this<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sleep is so hot right now. As we discussed above, sleep became a huge topic in the NFL this week. But in college, at Memphis, Tigers coach Charles Huff hacked it before the Rams claimed to do so.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Before Memphis\u2019 Week 1 win at UNLV \u2014 played at 9 p.m. local time for the Tigers \u2014 Huff hired Dr. Cheri Mah, a renowned sleep scientist, to help his team in that Week 1 matchup and throughout the season. He says it\u2019s the best $20,000 the program has spent<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Bill Ackman, tennis\u2019 billionaire backer. The Athletic\u2019s Matthew Futterman wrote a fascinating story on Ackman, who\u2019s become a very public billionaire in both politics and now tennis. He is financially involved in nearly every aspect of the court and, despite being 60, even attempted to play in a professional tournament last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

His cash infusion into tennis has become so prolific that it worries some in the sport. It was interesting enough to warrant Matthew making an appearance on \u201cPablo Torre Finds Out.\u201d Read that story (video inside, too) here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Thank you for monitoring once again. Almost done:<\/p>\n

Watch Guide<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcfa U.S. Open: Men\u2019s semifinals
3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET on ESPN
No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev faces unseeded Karen Khachanov in the early match, with the all-American semifinal of Ben Shelton-Frances Tiafoe earning the night slot. If anything, tune in for the late match.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcfa CFB: No. 23 Missouri at Kansas
8 p.m. ET on Fox
This is the Border War, a rivalry that dates back to the actual Civil War, and, as Justin Williams wrote last year, the embodiment<\/a> of what we love about college football. This game features true animosity, which makes it a must-watch.<\/p>\n

Pulse Picks<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Does an MLB manager need experience playing professional baseball to succeed? We asked 99 players this spring, and the spread on their answers might surprise you<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s high time for an NBA check-in, which comes in the form of a roundtable about one specific question: Can anyone in the West beat San Antonio or Oklahoma City?<\/a><\/p>\n

If you need any help finding the college football team under the most pressure this weekend, look no further than Austin, Texas. It\u2019s why, even after a good season, the Longhorns overhauled nearly everything<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I loved Jourdan Rodrigue\u2019s story on the Texans and their defense, which is taking extreme steps to be perfect this year. Make time for this<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Andrew Marchand\u2019s review<\/a> of Mike Tomlin\u2019s NBC debut.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Most-read on the website yesterday: The Ackman story.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Pulse Newsletter \ud83d\udce3 | This is The Athletic\u2019s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":891677,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[446],"tags":[49,48,634,514,82],"class_list":["post-891676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nascar","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nascar","tag-nfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/891676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=891676"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/891676\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/891677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=891676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=891676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=891676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}